Far from a done deal, is what’s coming from many corners. This Ron Meyer guy is one of those WANTING Boehner out - with good reason. But so far he’s the ONLY one who says he’s “confirmed” anything. Hope he’s right. But also hope he’s not just hyping his wishful thinking so as to believe something is going to happen when it’s not.

I’ll not believe it until I see it happen. In addition, I doubt the efficacy of getting rid of the cry-baby. Who CAN be elected in his place, and not get the same treatment shortly thereafter? The job is a thankless task that few want...

I don’t know who Ron Meyer is, but he is incorrect in stating that no one can get elected Speaker without 218 votes and thus that 16 Republicans voting present can keep Boehner from the Speakership. The rules of the House have stated since at least 1913 (the earliest Speaker election analyzed by the Congressional Research Service in its 2011 study) that the election of Speaker requires a majority not of members, but of votes cast *for a person*. Thus, vacancies, abstentions, *and people voting Present* will not be included in the denominator. http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL30857.pdf

And this isnt some arcane theory by the CRS; it was exactly what occurred as recently as 1997. That was the year of the attempted coup against Newt Gingrich, which fell apart, but around 8-10 Republicans voted Present in the Speaker election (plus 2 Republicans voted for RINO Jim Leach, 2 others voted for Republicans who had retired from Congress, and I assume that Newt abstained, as is customary for Speaker candidates). Due to all of those Present votes and abstentions, only 213 votes were required to elect a Speaker, and Newt was elected with 216 votes.

The House of Representatives for the 113th Congress will convene with at most 434 members (Jesse Jackson, Jr.s seat will be vacant). If 16 Republicans vote Present, at most 418 votes will be cast for a person for Speaker, meaning that Boehner would need only 210 votes to be elected Speaker. But if 34 Republicans vote Present, then Pelosi or some other Democrat could be elected Speaker with the 201 Democrat votes. So voting Present for Speaker wont keep Boehner from being elected Speaker, unless so many Republicans do it that a Democrat gets elected Speaker.

The only way that 16 Republicans can prevent Boehner or a Democrat from becoming Speaker would be if they voted for actual persons, not vote Present. And that is a lot more difficult than finding 16 Republicans to vote “Present.”

I wish it could be Newt. He accomplished so much before as the speaker.

There's no one with that guy's intelligence and can balance many tasks to reform our government.

If it's Cantor, he will be weak. They all have to present this to go along but we are getting clobbered as the socialist agenda marches ahead. I don't care about the person's past or wife or other. Just get a fighter who does not give a crap what the democrat media says because the people will support that person when he/she does the right things. Stay with the basics. The person who does that will be the hero! The person needs to go on TV and make a pledge to follow the constitution and if they fumble, they promise to step down.

75 posted on 01/02/2013 5:45:10 PM PST by Christie at the beach
(I like Newt. Our nation's foundation is under attack.)